March 16, 2008

Logical fallacies in the land of commerce and profit

I buy a lot of music used through Amazon and Half. I love shopping used locally, but really, I don’t think there’s much of a better deal than this – most of the time, I spend maybe $3-5 on each CD, total. Deals are yours to be had, and you get to rip it into your choice of formats forever once you get it, unlike Itunes and Amazon downloads – you’re stuck with what you buy, and with the majority of Itunes’ offerings, that’s not much (if we’re talking Itunes Plus, they’re at least decent bitrates, but still . . . )

I’m picky. I want it all. And I know it’s out there. If I go in search of something, I want the album as it was presented when it was bought. CD, case, artwork, etc. Just search for something on either site and you’ll see a ton of listings for “CD ONLY – no back artwork” or some such variant. I realize some people get rid of jewelcases, but getting rid of all of the artwork? Isn’t that just shooting yourself in the foot? What’s more, many of these people list their offerings as “like new.” Huh? Doesn’t the inclusion of “like” mean that it has to have some semblance to the original state it was presented? Don’t look at me like that – I don’t care if it’s a one-cent CD. If you state “like new,” it had better actually be like new. That’s just a logical fallacy otherwise. And annoying.

Here’s an actual excerpt off Amazon, condition listed as “Very Good”: “CD comes in sleeve, no jewel case. Front liner insert/booklet will be provided at no additional cost.” Really? At no additional cost? How generous of you to toss in that half-ounce of paper. I will certainly choose your copy at $3.00 over the other dozen or so that do include all the artwork for less, because you’re not charging extra for that.

Now, those of you who don’t give a dump about any artwork and just want really cheap music, well, Amazon and Half are a like hitting the jackpot at the greatest yardsale ever. Penny CDs are to be had everywhere. No artwork means no one wants them, and people have to get rid of them somehow, so the price is low. I just won’t be one of the ones buying ’em. Have at ’em, if that floats yer boat.